Vicious and mean spirited! As I recall, I wrote something like, "I can have a low opinion of you and still wish you Merry Christmas, with perfect sincerity. Merry Christmas Barry!" I don't see how that's vicious or mean-spirited, especially compared to the nth iteration of Barry's "liar idiot hypocrite" mantra, and I think Barry doesn't either, given that he made sure no one could compare what I wrote to his casual calumny. But it's not my blog, and I meant what I said. Maybe all he wanted for Christmas was the chance to be venomous to someone he hates. A little birthday present for Jesus.

Oh! I think I actually wrote something like, "I can have a low opinion of you and still wish you Merry Christmas, with perfect sincerity. Can you do the same? Merry Christmas Barry and News and KF and Zachriel and keiths &c!"

Apparently he cannot do the same. Our holiday wishes were returned with angry spite. I guess there is to be no Christmas truce in the Great Spiritual War. It's not like Jesus would want anyone loving the other side anyway, right?

A little late but a Merry Xmas to Ray M., Robert B., FL, Sal and the others as well. It ought to be possible to lay down arms for a little while at Yuletide, in the firm knowledge that as soon as it is over those among us all so inclined may be at eachothers throat again.

A little late but a Merry Xmas to Ray M., Robert B., FL, Sal and the others as well. It ought to be possible to lay down arms for a little while at Yuletide, in the firm knowledge that as soon as it is over those among us all so inclined may be at eachothers throat again.

(Ducking.)

A Christmas day purge by Barry of anyone who remotely disagreed with him. I was immediately banned (Paul Sussman) when I made the statement that anyone who uses the term "Speaks volumes", speaks volumes about the person who uses it. Apparently, that is ban worthy.

A little late but a Merry Xmas to Ray M., Robert B., FL, Sal and the others as well. It ought to be possible to lay down arms for a little while at Yuletide, in the firm knowledge that as soon as it is over those among us all so inclined may be at eachothers throat again.

(Ducking.)

A Christmas day purge by Barry of anyone who remotely disagreed with him. I was immediately banned (Paul Sussman) when I made the statement that anyone who uses the term "Speaks volumes", speaks volumes about the person who uses it. Apparently, that is ban worthy.

Of course.

It speaks volumes about you that you said it "speaks volumes," and Barry simply took you at your word.

Oh hey, did you know that if you close a Word file without saving it, you can still get it back? Found that out today looking for a piece of business, and realized that since I draft htmlified comments in Word I could call up the exact comment that Barry called a "vicious mean-spirited Christmas morning attack."

Pretty standard stuff. Barry shouts "idiot," "liar," and "hypocrite," then accuses the person he's abusing of not being civil. In this case, to credibly put himself on a moral high horse he had to delete my comment and lie about it. "Vicious mean-spirited Christmas morning attack" scores no points: it wasn't vicious, wasn't mean-spirited, wasn't an attack, and wasn't even on Christmas morning (not that the last one matters). But who needs to be honest about, or kind to, someone who disagrees with you? Apparently not Christians. Remember, by their fruits will you recognize them.

----------------------------------------

<i>You are the most hyper-partisan person who comments regularly on this blog. </i>

Am I? Can you give examples? Or is this just a belief you have to adopt to justify a personal insult?

<i>Thanks for clearing up that it is OK to depict innocent children as monkeys on a string in a political attack piece as long as it is not a racist trope. Idiot.</i>

What I actually said was, “there’s no reason to drag kids into that partisan battle, even if her intention was to criticize Cruz for politicizing them.” But if you were to respond to what I wrote, it would be harder for you to justify saying “idiot.” And what sort of conversation would it be if you weren’t spitting “liar” and “idiot” and “hypocrite” at people? People would think you were getting soft! Maybe even treating people like beloved neighbors instead of hated enemies. What would become of Uncommon Descent then?

<blockquote><i>But if someone draped traditionally Mexican images on the Cruzes, I would definitely be upset.</blockquote>Liar. You would find some way to justify that too.</i>

No, I would find it racist and upsetting. But to believe that, you’d have to believe that I’m not a racist. Can you find it in your heart to believe that I’m not a liar, an idiot, a hypocrite, <i>and</i> a racist all at once? Can Christian charity bend so far?

<i><blockquote>Here, the cartoonist explains that she meant that Cruz uses his children as props. Which he does, although I don’t think any more obnoxiously than many politicians.</blockquote>Yes, politicians use their families as props. And up until now it never occurred to anyone that made them fair targets for vicious political attacks. And up until now no one would have defended such viciousness. <i>

That’s not true, and it’s pretty obviously not true. <a href=”http://mediamatters.org/research/2010/06/16/beck-and-limbaugh-join-forces-to-mock-little-gi/166287”>Limbaugh</a>, for example, called Chelsea the “white house dog” and Beck insulted Obama’s daughter’s intelligence. If I made a statement that was so obviously false, how long would it take you to pound LIAR into the response box? I forgive you, your comment was a harmless overstatement that no one believed.

<i>But since the attacks are against an awful conservative they are OK. So much for not letting your politics define your beliefs.</i>

Did I say that attacks on a conservative are OK? Not in the words you quote, which have nothing to do with whether the cartoonist was right to use his kids. I wrote that the cartoonist wasn’t making a racial attack on Cruz, and that nevertheless “there’s no reason to drag kids into that partisan battle.” But I forgive you.

<i>Who cares if it is a commentary on their race?</i>

News and KF, who commented at length above. Since your comment compared this cartoon to drawing Obama’s kids as monkeys, which would be a much more racially-charged cartoon, I assumed you shared their concern.

<i>Insult me and then wish me a merry Christmas. Hypocrite.</i>

I can both have a low opinion of you and wish you a merry Christmas, with perfect sincerity. Can you not do the same? Merry Christmas, Barry! And News and KF and Zachriel and Mung and GUN and keiths and Joe G and Lizzie and all the rest—merry Christmas, and happy holidays!

For some reason using < and > doesn't work here. You have to use [ and ].

It is the difference between HTML and iB Code. Click on the <a href="javascript:PopUp('http://www.antievolution.org/cgi-bin/ikonboard/ikonboard.cgi?act=Legends&CODE=ibcode','HelpCard','250','400','0','1','1','1')" target="_blank">iB Code</a> link below the box you type your comment in.

For some reason using < and > doesn't work here. You have to use [ and ].

It is the difference between HTML and iB Code. Click on the <a href="javascript:PopUp('http://www.antievolution.org/cgi-bin/ikonboard/ikonboard.cgi?act=Legends&CODE=ibcode','HelpCard','250','400','0','1','1','1')" target="_blank">iB Code</a> link below the box you type your comment in.

Note to self: Do not use the "Preview" function before posting a link. Try this one: iB Code

For some reason using < and > doesn't work here. You have to use [ and ].

It is the difference between HTML and iB Code. Click on the <ahref="javascript:PopUp('http://www.antievolution.org/cgi-bin/ikonboard/ikonboard.cgi?act=Legends&CODE=ibcode','HelpCard','250','400','0','1','1','1')"target="_blank">iB Code</a> link below the box you type your comment in.

Note to self: Do not use the "Preview" function before posting a link. Try this one: <ahref="javascript:PopUp('http://www.antievolution.org/cgi-bin/ikonboard/ikonboard.cgi?act=Legends&CODE=ibcode','HelpCard','250','400','0','1','1','1')"target="_blank">iB Code</a>

I've never clicked on the iB PopUp. Thanks for pointing it out.

I've never heard of iB Code, and I'm curious about why it's used here.

ETA: Just seeing if I can make rossum's links clickable, like his second one above.

ETA: I give up.

Edited by The whole truth on Dec. 29 2015,02:50

--------------Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. - Jesus in Matthew 10:34

But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me. -Jesus in Luke 19:27

I've never heard of iB Code, and I'm curious about why it's used here.

Why iB Code rather than HTML? There's a lot of things you can do with HTML, including a number of dirty tricks used by spammers and crackers. Thus, no HTML = greatly reduced vulnerability. iB Code implements a restricted subset of HTML; the stuff iB Code doesn't implement, includes most (if not all) of the stuff which enables the aforementioned dirty tricks. Some online fora use a different subset-of-HTML called "BBCode"; same intended purpose as iB Code, somewhat different implementation details.

I've never heard of iB Code, and I'm curious about why it's used here.

Why iB Code rather than HTML? There's a lot of things you can do with HTML, including a number of dirty tricks used by spammers and crackers. Thus, no HTML = greatly reduced vulnerability. iB Code implements a restricted subset of HTML; the stuff iB Code doesn't implement, includes most (if not all) of the stuff which enables the aforementioned dirty tricks. Some online fora use a different subset-of-HTML called "BBCode"; same intended purpose as iB Code, somewhat different implementation details.

Thanks for your explanation.

--------------Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. - Jesus in Matthew 10:34

But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me. -Jesus in Luke 19:27

Oh hey, did you know that if you close a Word file without saving it, you can still get it back? Found that out today looking for a piece of business, and realized that since I draft htmlified comments in Word I could call up the exact comment that Barry called a "vicious mean-spirited Christmas morning attack."

Pretty standard stuff. Barry shouts "idiot," "liar," and "hypocrite," then accuses the person he's abusing of not being civil. In this case, to credibly put himself on a moral high horse he had to delete my comment and lie about it. "Vicious mean-spirited Christmas morning attack" scores no points: it wasn't vicious, wasn't mean-spirited, wasn't an attack, and wasn't even on Christmas morning (not that the last one matters). But who needs to be honest about, or kind to, someone who disagrees with you? Apparently not Christians. Remember, by their fruits will you recognize them.

----------------------------------------

Quote

You are the most hyper-partisan person who comments regularly on this blog.

Am I? Can you give examples? Or is this just a belief you have to adopt to justify a personal insult?

Quote

Thanks for clearing up that it is OK to depict innocent children as monkeys on a string in a political attack piece as long as it is not a racist trope. Idiot.

What I actually said was, “there’s no reason to drag kids into that partisan battle, even if her intention was to criticize Cruz for politicizing them.” But if you were to respond to what I wrote, it would be harder for you to justify saying “idiot.” And what sort of conversation would it be if you weren’t spitting “liar” and “idiot” and “hypocrite” at people? People would think you were getting soft! Maybe even treating people like beloved neighbors instead of hated enemies. What would become of Uncommon Descent then?

Quote

Quote

But if someone draped traditionally Mexican images on the Cruzes, I would definitely be upset.

Liar. You would find some way to justify that too.

No, I would find it racist and upsetting. But to believe that, you’d have to believe that I’m not a racist. Can you find it in your heart to believe that I’m not a liar, an idiot, a hypocrite, and a racist all at once? Can Christian charity bend so far?

Quote

Quote

Here, the cartoonist explains that she meant that Cruz uses his children as props. Which he does, although I don’t think any more obnoxiously than many politicians.

Yes, politicians use their families as props. And up until now it never occurred to anyone that made them fair targets for vicious political attacks. And up until now no one would have defended such viciousness.

That’s not true, and it’s pretty obviously not true. Limbaugh, for example, called Chelsea the “white house dog” and Beck insulted Obama’s daughter’s intelligence. If I made a statement that was so obviously false, how long would it take you to pound LIAR into the response box? I forgive you, your comment was a harmless overstatement that no one believed.

Quote

But since the attacks are against an awful conservative they are OK. So much for not letting your politics define your beliefs.

Did I say that attacks on a conservative are OK? Not in the words you quote, which have nothing to do with whether the cartoonist was right to use his kids. I wrote that the cartoonist wasn’t making a racial attack on Cruz, and that nevertheless “there’s no reason to drag kids into that partisan battle.” But I forgive you.

Quote

Who cares if it is a commentary on their race?

News and KF, who commented at length above. Since your comment compared this cartoon to drawing Obama’s kids as monkeys, which would be a much more racially-charged cartoon, I assumed you shared their concern.

Quote

Insult me and then wish me a merry Christmas. Hypocrite.

I can both have a low opinion of you and wish you a merry Christmas, with perfect sincerity. Can you not do the same? Merry Christmas, Barry! And News and KF and Zachriel and Mung and GUN and keiths and Joe G and Lizzie and all the rest—merry Christmas, and happy holidays!

I obviously prefer HTML to BBCode, because I have the basic formatting commands committed to muscle memory. But Uncommon Descent's long-running Viagra spam code maybe shows why it's a bad idea. Do they still have that garbage in their source? And how would something like that get there in the first place? I wouldn't have thought through the comments, but I have no idea.

1030 Virgil Cain March 15, 2016 at 10:47 amVirgil Cain is in moderation for responding in kind to his attackers. What kind of moderation punishers the responder and not the people who provokes him with lies, bluffs and personal attacks?

Surely not Christians…

UD Editors: We are releasing this comment from moderation in connection with a permanent ban of VC. All commenters should be aware that the surest and fastest way to be shown the exit from these pages is to cast aspersions on our faith.

--------------Math is just a language of reality. Its a waste of time to know it. - Robert Byers

There isn't any probability that the letter d is in the word "mathematics"... The correct answer would be "not even 0" - JoeG